Holy Jumpman logo. On Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, St. John’s sophomore (and Philly native) Rysheed Jordan got way, way up and packed a monster dunk on Villanova’s Dylan Ennis. There’s not really much else to say about this unbelievable dunk, other than the fact that Jordan wears a No. 23 jersey and the pose he makes mid-air certainly conjure memories of Mike himself. Woah!

The St. John’s-Villanova game this past Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden was brought to the Johnnies’ faithful by the color red.

With three St. John’s losses in a row, the word bleeding may come to mind. But this Red Storm team put their own and different imprint on the meaning of the color red, its school’s color. Heart. Their hearts will provide Red Storm fans with meaning and hope this winter.

There were 8,565 fans at the Garden who braved the cold weather and late hour during the workweek. It was a St. John’s crowd that came to support their team against its toughest opponent to date, the No. 8-ranked Villanova Wildcats. Some have predicted this very strong 13-1 Villanova team will make the Final Four.

Red Storm fans knew it was going to be a very meaningful game as the Johnnies were off to its best start after 14 games in 15 years, but coming off two consecutive losses in its first two conference games against Seton Hall and Butler.

A Red Storm win would validate its fans’ feeling this was a true NCAA Tournament-worthy team. The Red Storm is the best basketball team in New York City. Check that. The best men’s team, as the St. John’s women’s team at 12-2 is the best women’s team.

New York City basketball fans are hungry for a winning St. John’s team to get back to the big dance after a three-year absence and are looking forward to a fun and exciting next three months.

Leading up to the game, senior guard Phil Greene IV called it the “biggest game of my career.”

The Red Storm fell to the Wildcats 90-72. St. John’s fans might have gone home disappointed, but the team showed its true color—it’s got heart, and that heart should help the fans keep the faith. The game was closer than the final score indicates.

The Red Storm has shown it can play with almost anybody beating Minnesota the defending NIT champions, and Syracuse, and giving a top-10 ranked team, Gonzaga, a run for its money. St. John’s was ranked No. 24 in the country going into the Nova game with a strength of schedule rank of 20.

The game was fairly even with 11 minutes left in the game, and St. John’s was still within striking distance of seven points with about seven minutes left. But a twisted ankle for junior center Chris Obekpa and foul trouble for him and Sir’Dominic Pointer slowed the Johnnies down and allowed Villanova to pull away. D’Angelo Harrison banged up his knee at the end of the first half and sported a welt on his lip at the end of the game, but still played well the whole game.

There is terrific talent among the five starters and first sub off the bench. Three seniors, guards Harrison and Greene, and guard/forward Pointer, and two juniors center Obekpa and guard Jamal Branch start. Rysheed Jordan, a sophomore, comes off the bench now after having started a number of games, as the sixth man.

The talent, and then some, has been there the previous two seasons. Those teams had winning records and made the NIT. But this year’s team, currently lacking a deep bench, brings a chemistry and camaraderie among themselves that might be stronger than in the past, and if so, perhaps because of the over-abundance of talent in the past.

Coach Steve Lavin went deep in his bench last season. Last season’s team had seven players who averaged over 20 minutes playing time, one averaged almost 15 minutes, and three averaged nine minutes a game. But last year, a core rotation with predictable and consistent substitutions never seemed to really take hold. This year, a core rotation has taken hold.

The short six-man rotation used by Lavin means these six players don’t have to worry about playing time. They are on the court longer with each other and have grown accustomed to playing with each other. Four talented guards get to play at the same time and have meshed with each other.

I would not be surprised if the chemistry and camaraderie carries off the court. This was Greene, when discussing Jordan’s leave of absence and subsequent return, as reported by the New York Times. “We’re a family,” Greene said. “Families stick together through tough times. We have each other’s back and it’s going to stay like that.”

In the half court offense, the Red Storm have been spreading the court, giving the guards room to drive to the hoop and pull up for jumpers, or dish off underneath. Multiple players are touching the ball on offense sets. All the guards are quick and fast, can dribble very well, push the ball up court, and fly up the court. Most of them can quickly weave and change direction on their dribble or just quickly blow past their defenders.

Pointer may be one of the most underrated Johnnie player in a long time and has given new meaning to the term “swingman.” At 6-6, he can play all positions on the court. He leads the team in steals and is second in rebounds.

Pointer is physical and strong enough to guard the post, and quick enough to guard a point guard if Coach Lavin wants to disrupt an opponent’s ability to run its offense. When guarding a ball handler bringing the ball up court, his very fundamentally sound low defensive stance combined with his strength, size, and quickness create turnovers. He gets down the court fast and can soar.

Obekpa has been Bill Russell incarnate with his shot blocking, and is second in the nation in that category. His arms seem to have skyscraper reach. He leads the team in rebounding.

Harrison leads the Red Storm in scoring this year at 20.3 ppg, and was their leading scorer on a per game basis his previous three years. He received the Haggerty Award last season as the best New York Metropolitan area basketball player. He plays unselfishly, patiently and seamlessly within the team construct. He could probably easily take another five shots a game without appearing to be forcing things. He’s a graceful shooter who can also take it to the hoop.

The 6-4 Harrison is helping to shoulder the rebounding burden averaging six a game. Part of that may be because he is closer to the basket when he is in the back of the zone defense.

Greene, who could start for most college teams as a prototypical point guard, has taken on the responsibility of trying to score more this year and is second in shots taken. He shares ball-handling duties with Branch and Jordan.

With over 14 minutes left in the game against Villanova, Greene’s lob pass, on the run as he sped down court after grabbing a rebound, to Pointer for a dunk, began a beautiful play that excited the crowd as the Red Storm regained the lead 48-47.

Branch is coming into his own, making plays off the dribble quickly with the pass or drive. He leads the team in assists to turnover ratio.

Jordan is the second leading scorer on the team at 14 ppg and has been touted as having NBA potential.

The Johnnies can guard man-to-man. But given the short rotation, staying out of foul trouble is the biggest challenge. To try to stay out of foul trouble, particularly for Pointer and Obekpa, the Johnnies are switching between a man-to-man defense and a 2-3 or 3-2 match up zone. Up until the Villanova game, the defense was only allowing an average of 61 points a game.

The last 13-and-a-half minutes of the Minnesota game earlier in the season, showed that this St. John’s team could be a special. During that stretch, the Johnnies played some of the most inspiring and important minutes in a long time.

Down by seven at the time, 49-42, the stretch started with a foul on a Minnesota player who then got hit with a technical resulting in three consecutive foul shots made by the Johnnies. The miss of the fourth foul shot was dunked by Pointer. That cut the Minnesota lead to two. A minute later Pointer stole a pass in the backcourt and skied to the hoop for a dunk over the defender exciting the crowd. That Pointer dunk is now part of the pre-game highlight video.

Less than a minute later Pointer blocked a shot at the rim. With two and a half minutes left in the game and St. John’s up by two, 61-59, Harrison made a deep three-point shot with an assist from Jordan after Harrison got an offensive rebound. Harrison got fouled on the shot and hit the foul shot for a four-point play, leading to the 70-61 win.

Despite losing to Villanova, the team showed a lot of heart both on and off the court. It’s something they may never forget and may serve them well beyond their days at St. John’s.

Villanova is big, strong, eight-men deep, experienced, and fast enough. The scoring is balanced and the minutes are spread.

Going into the game Villanova’s leading scorer was senior guard Darrun Hilliard with an averages of 12.4 ppg. Four other players had an average of at least 10 ppg and two others average close to eight.

The Johnnies did not back down an inch from a Villanova team that can be physical. With a few lead changes in the first half, the Johnnies, relying on Harrison and Greene for scoring, took a slight lead, 35-34, at the end of the first half.

Villanova collected five more offensive rebounds than the Red Storm in the first half. But Obekpa had three blocked shots and Pointer two. Pointer and Obekpa both had two fouls in the first half. Pointer got his second foul with 12 minutes remaining and played only 11 minutes in the first half.

The Red Storm defense kept the Wildcats from scoring much inside during the first half. Pinkston and Ochefu rarely were on the court at the same time, which might have helped. But Villanova showed they could hit the outside shot.

Obekpa quickly got his third foul within the second minute of the second half. He came out of the game and went back in two minutes later. The game remained very close and was tied 52-52 with a little over 12 minutes left when Obekpa turned an ankle and left the game. He came back a minute and a half later only to pick up his fourth foul within less than another minute and he left the game limping and the Red Storm down 61-54.

St. John’s closed to within five with a little over eight minutes to go, but Pointer picked up his fourth foul with 8:10 left on the clock and fouled out less than 30 seconds later. He was replaced by Obekpa who was hampered with four fouls and a twisted ankle. Obekpa exited for good with six minutes left and the team down 72-61. Villanova proceeded to pull further away.

The biggest heart shown by the Red Storm may have been on display before the game.

Sixth man Jordan had taken an indefinite leave of absence from the basketball team last week after his grandmother passed away.

With his grandmother’s funeral still ahead of him two days after the Villanova game, Jordan somehow mustered the ability to get back to the team and play in this game. His teammates needed him. And he probably needed them just as much in his grief.

Still, it took a big, big heart to come back and play. A person has a right to grieve the loss of a loved one.

As the Johnnies took the floor for the game, he led the layup line from the right side and gave a big smile. You saw that smile again in the team huddle before tip-off. His team and the court brought him some comfort.

Don’t look in the box score for the significance of his game contributions. You won’t find it there. Sometimes just showing up and being counted really matters. And he provided more than that.

His ability to defend and allow the offense to still flow despite not scoring much was big, as Coach Lavin could provide a blow to the others and protect Pointer in the first half from picking up his third foul. The Johnnies were able to show themselves and their fans that they could play with the best.

Now, in the early part the second half of the season, can the Red Storm start building on to it’s first six by lengthening its bench by two more players without disrupting its talent and chemistry?

More insurance is needed against foul trouble, injury, fatigue, and other unforeseen events. It would also allow the Johnnies to play more man-to-man defense.

During the post-game press conference, Lavin seemed less inclined to extend the bench based on performances in practice, but hinted if he does, it might be the 6-5 freshman Myles Stewart whose outside shooting can keep the floor opened up. Yet, it is something he knows he has to think through and evaluate. There is some time to do so. St. John’s next game, against Providence, is on January 14.

The Johnnies were out-rebounded 41 to 21 by the Wildcats. Offensive rebounds went 14 to 5 in Nova’s favor. And except for just a very brief time, Pinkston and Ochefu were not on the floor at the same time. Before the game, the Johnnies had averaged 38 boards a game, but had 32 and 34 in their previous two games.

Nova had 42 points in the paint, 26 in the second half. They also went 7-12 beyond the three-point line in the second half.

After the 6-10 Obekpa, the next tallest Johnnie is Pointer at 6-6.

There are six teams in the Big East with winning percentages over .700. Nine out of the 10 teams have at least nine wins. Does not look like there will be many easy games for any of the teams in the conference, except for maybe Villanova.

Permit me one new reverie. Had they not turned pro early, this team would also have Moe Harkless as a senior forward and JaKarr Sampson as a junior forward. With apologies to Dick Van Patton, this Eight is Enough show would have been awesome.

And one old “what if”? A shout out to back in the day.

Forty-two years ago, in the 1972-73 season, St. John’s start forward Mel Davis, a great PSAL ballplayer from Brooklyn’s Boys High and later to be drafted by the Knicks in the first round and play four years with them, did not play due to a knee injury suffered at the end of the previous season. Had he been healthy at the end of the previous season, he would have entered the NBA Draft early as a junior based on hardship and still not have played that season at St. John’s.

In Davis’ two seasons on the varsity (freshmen could not play on the varsity when he entered college) he averaged 21 points a game year, 16 rebounds per game as a sophomore, and 15 as a junior.

That 1972-73 St. John’s team lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Penn by a point. With Davis, that team may have ranked among the best in St. John’s history. Some of the players on that team: Billy Schaeffer, Ed Searcy, Kevin Cluess, Tony Prince, Mel Utley, Larry Jenkins and Frank Alagia.

What matters though is not what if. It’s what actually happens that matters. This Red Storm team showed its big heart against Villanova. Chances are we will see more of that heart this season.

It goes without saying this has been “the year of the freshman” in college basketball. In spite of near-ridiculous expectations, high profile youngsters—such as Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Tyler Ennis, Joel Embid and so forth—continue to rise to the occasion and excel in the spotlight.

That being said, the media would be remiss to solely focus on the projected one-and-dones. There are freshman in every conference, big or small, making significant contributions to their respective teams—guys who’ve already cemented their spot in the rotation, guys who’ve already shattered their once-perceived ceiling, and some who could potentially play in the NBA.

Below are six “under the radar” freshman—five active, and one sidelined due to injury—with the talent and upside to make noise nationally. Again, there are freshmen in all tiers of college basketball—from Villanova’s Josh Hart to BYU’s Erik Mika to Marshall’s Kareem Canty—making it look easy. However, I’ve only included players I’ve seen live. This is not an all-encompassing list; it’s simply a way to shed light on a handful of freshman who, despite not being in the national picture, are forces to be reckoned with.

Jordan Mickey (LSU) — F, 6-8, 220
19 years old

Season (32 mpg): 13 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.6 BPG, 57% FG

Overshadowed by teammate and McDonald’s All-American Jarrell Martin at the start of the season, Mickey quick established himself in Baton Rouge. He posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in the season opener vs. UMass, and for the most part hasn’t looked back since.

I first observed Mickey as a rising high school senior, where he appeared to be on the cusp of “breaking through.” Two years later, I feel even more confident about that sentiment—I believe Mickey is a jump shot away from cementing himself as a first-round draft pick.

Mickey is a bouncy 6-8 athlete who finalizes plays inside the foul line on offense, and locks up your best player on defense. He has the potential to be a two-way star. Persistent on the glass, attacks the rim with purpose, and has interior touch to go along with athleticism. Excellent shot blocker on defense (he’s recorded at least five blocks in eight games this year), and with some development of his offensive game, Mickey could be a star.

That being said, right now Mickey is overly reliant on his interior game—80% of his shot attempts this season have come in the paint, which isn’t sustainable if he’s going to extend his game to the perimeter. But if his shot begins to drop, he could be in the running for SEC player of the year next season.

Transition

Cutting/Slashing

Poor Shooting

Amida Brimah (Connecticut) — C, 7-0, 217
20 years old

Season (15 mpg): 4 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.7 BPG

Virtually unknown coming out of high school, Amida Brimah has been one of the biggest surprises in all of college basketball. 7-feet, runs the floor like a deer, nimble feet and blocks everything in sight.

Brimah is extremely active and is already a repellant in the paint. He’s a project offensively, building his game from scratch after emigrating from Ghana three years ago. With continued physical and skill development, Brimah’s upside is through the roof. He’s already dominating stretches of games, simply based on effort and shot blocking.

Blocks

Offensive Athleticism (raw)

Rysheed Jordan(St. John’s) — PG, 6-4, 185

Jordan has great size for a point guard and attacks the basket with conviction. He’s strong enough to finish through contact, routinely overpowers defenders on the college level. He wisely chooses when, and where, to attack the defense.

He has the potential to be an elite defender. Good size, length and strength, but most of all he embraces isolation defense. Earlier this season, I witnessed Jordan essentially shut down Tyler Ennis in the second half of the Syracuse-St. John’s game.

All that said, two things need to happen for Jordan to realize his potential: 1) St. John’s has to give him the keys to run the offense (and if you know anything about St. John’s, it’s that they have no semblance of consistent offensive structure), and 2) he needs to improve his jump shot (per Synergy, Jordan is a putrid 9-42 on jump shots this season).

If his jump shot comes along, though, Jordan has all the ingredients to be an all-League player next season.

Missed Jump Shots

Scoring

Assists in transition

Cullen Neal (New Mexico) — PG, 6-4, 185
20 years old

Season (21 mpg): 8 PPG, 2 RPG, 2 APG

Talk about resiliency. After suffering a ruptured appendix during New Mexico’s trip to Australia in early August—in which he lost 20 pounds in a matter of days—and then having to battle mononucleosis in October, Cullen Neal has been a solid contributor for the Lobos all season.

Neal has terrific size for a point guard at 6-4, with the flair and style of a showman. Near-perfect court vision, impeccable timing on his passes, and tight handle. Add in terrific range on his jump shot, and Neal could develop into a 17 point-and-8-assists point guard in the Mountain West. His passing skills are already there, but his shooting is the X-factor in my opinion—freshman typically struggle in this regard, yet Neal is shooting 53 percent off the dribble, and his 1.26 points per attempt rank in the 96th percentile nationally.

He scored 24 points (6-8 from three) vs Marquette earlier this season. Neal will presumably fill the positional void left by Kendall Williams next season, and will lead New Mexico for the foreseeable future.

Shooting

Court Vision

Off the Dribble

Jon Severe (Fordham) — G, 6-2, 185
20 years old

Season (35 mpg): 19.7 PPG, 3 RPG, 2 APG

The freshman from Brooklyn is a dynamic scorer, but hasn’t cared much for efficiency. While Severe can rain down jump shots, he often jacks up shots early in possessions and freezes out teammates. You’d be hard pressed to find a player with a greener light than Severe.

It’s been both a blessing and a curse — he’s had shooting performances of 9-25 and 5-23, but has also played well in marquee games: 19 points on 5-12 shooting vs Syracuse, and 29 points on 11-19 shooting vs. Harvard.

Overall, Severe can put the ball in the basket, but sometimes at the expense of developing a flow within the offense. If he can “process the game” at a slower, more comfortable speed, his game will rise to another level.

Isolation Points

Spot-Up Struggles

INACTIVE

Robert Hubbs III (Tennessee) — SG, 6-6, 205
18 years old

A 6-6 shooting guard with a smooth jump shot and impressive body control, Hubbs is one of the more under the radar players in his class. He was expected to provide a scoring punch off the bench as a freshman, and then take over primary scoring duties next season.

Unfortunately, those plans were derailed by a season-ending shoulder injury, and Hubbs finished the season with modest averages of 5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12 minutes per game.

Nonetheless, I remain steady in my assertion that Hubbs is a future first-round draft pick. His combination of physical tools (6-6 frame, long arms, crazy hangtime) and skill (shooting off the dribble, angling his body mid-air like few others ca), leads me to believe Hubbs could bolt Knoxville for the L after next season.

Despite the injury, my stance remains: in terms of “elite freshman shooting guards,” Hubbs is right there with Aaron Harrison, Zach LaVine, Wayne Selden and Marcus Foster. Like I’ve said before, he may even end up as the best pro.

Carnesecca Arena sits just outside the sprawling streets of midtown Manhattan on the small St. John’s University campus in Queens, NY. Even with its recent renovations, the arena is cramped, outdated and inferior to the facilities of other powerhouse programs around the country. Though it is flawed, the gym has a certain charm to it—the 5,600-seat arena is a basketball oasis dripping with hoops history. Back in the Big East’s hey-day of the ’80s and ’90s, New York City greats Mark Jackson, Chris Mullin, Ron Artest and head coach Lou Carnesecca made St. John’s one of the premier programs in the country.

Splitting their home games between Carnesecca Arena and Madison Square Garden, St. John’s often found itself at the center of the college basketball world thanks to epic rivalries with the likes of Georgetown and Syracuse. As of late, though, the product has been subpar, local interest has waned, and the the tributes to Jackson, Mullin and Carnesecca hanging in the rafters of Carnesecca Arena remind those who enter just how far the program has fallen.

Except for an Elite 8 run in 2000 and a first-round bump in 2011, St. John’s has failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Even worse, the program found itself riled in controversy throughout the late ’90s and ’00s due to rape accusations (later proved untrue), allegedly paying players, an ugly breakup with former head coach Mike Jarvis, and a self-imposed post-season ban. Once a hotbed for New York City’s top players, almost all of the recruits coming out of the boroughs went to school elsewhere leaving the program devoid of talent. The result was a razed program that, after years of setbacks and disappointments, is finally trending upward under fourth year head coach Steve Lavin. Thanks to great recruiting and resilience, the Red Storm has a chance to bring attention back to a depleted New York City college basketball scene and re-stake its claim as “New York’s team.”

When Lavin stepped away from the analyst’s desk and returned to the sideline as head coach of St. John’s in 2010, the program had a positive energy around it for the first time in a decade. Here was a coach—arguably the first coach at St. John’s since Lou Carnesecca—who understood the responsibility, patience and work it took to build and sustain a basketball program and national presence. Lavin was already familiar with the pressures that came with coaching a high-profile school in a huge media market after 12 years at UCLA. He knew how to recruit (at UCLA he hauled two number one recruiting classes and seven McDonald’s All-Americans). And, most importantly, he knew how to win (five Sweet 16 appearances in six seasons).

The St. John’s-Steve Lavin marriage got off to a fast start. Lavin led his first team to a 21-12 record, beating four top-10 teams and earning a Big Dance berth along the way. Lavin brought a buzz back to campus as the fans and students immediately gravitated to the coach, dubbing Carnesecca Arena “LAVINWOOD.” Lavin also lived up to his reputation as a great recruiter by bringing in a class that included future first-round pick Moe Harkless, and other blue chip players including forward Jakarr Sampson, guard D’Angelo Harrison, big man Norvel Pelle, forward Amir Garrett and guard/forward Sir’Dominic Pointer. The foundation was laid by Lavin in year one and a return to consistent winning seemed imminent.

But just as quick as the program took a step forward, it took two steps back. Top incoming recruits Garrett, Sampson and Pelle didn’t qualify academically. Lavin’s first recruit, forward Dwayne Polee transferred, and point guard Nurideen Lindsey transferred nine games into the regular season. The biggest blow was Lavin’s diagnosis of prostate cancer which caused him to miss almost all of the season. Future (and now former) Charlotte Bobcats head coach Mike Dunlap was left to take the reins of the youngest team in the country and with just six scholarship players available, the Red Storm stumbled to a 13-19 record.

Year three of the Steve Lavin experiment was another up and down affair. Once again, the Red Storm hauled in a top recruiting class that included re-committed Sampson, shot blocking extraordinaire Chris Obekpa, top JuCo forward Orlando Sanchez (who didn’t play due to eligibility issues), Texas A&M transfer point guard Jamal Branch (allowed to play in December), and Harvard transfer Max Hooper (who redshirted).

The team played well, winning five straight conference games in January, and climbed as high as third in the conference. Newcomer Obekpa exceeded expectations and became a shot-blocking machine while Sampson and Harrison formed a potent scoring combination with their dynamic skill sets. The Johnnies were peaking heading into the stretch run of their schedule and were in the conversation as an at-large Tournament team. The team was riding high, but soon enough, problems both on and off the court began to creep to the forefront.

Offensively, the Red Storm were a mess. Branch, who was supposed to solve the team’s point guard problem, joined the team late and battled a knee injury. With Branch ailing, point guard responsibilities fell to Harrison and Phil Greene IV—both of whom are talented scorers but unfit to log heavy minutes at the point. Without an attacking point guard to penetrate and find the open man, the team settled for a ridiculously high amount of mid- to long-range two-point field-goal attempts. The team was also woeful from the three-point line, finishing near the bottom of the nation in all three-point statistical categories.

Once February came around, the team began to spiral out of control. Lavin’s crew went 2-4 during the month and played themselves out of a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. After that disappointing stretch, the wheels fell completely off the wagon in March. Harrison, easily the team’s best offensive threat and the only guy who could get his own shot, was suspended for the rest of the season by Lavin due to behavioral problems. St. John’s lost its remaining regular-season games and capped off its season with an embarrassing fight during a blowout loss against Notre Dame. When it was all said and done, the Red Storm finished with a 17-16 record and a first-round NIT victory—hardly the results the team had in mind. Statistically, St. John’s finished 290th out of 347 teams in adjusted offensive rating, dead last in the Big East in free-throw percentage and in the bottom half of the conference in assists, points per game, three-pointers made per game, and field-goal percentage.

Despite the disappointing finish, the team did have its bright spots and a returning foundation to build off of heading into the offseason. Obekpa was a force defensively, leading the nation with 4 blocks per game, while fellow freshman Sampson was second on the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game and first in rebounding with 6.6 per game—good enough to earn Big East Rookie of the Year. Pointer stuffed the stat sheet and harassed the opposing teams top perimeter player, turning into one of the better two-way players in the Big East. Even with the suspension, Harrison averaged 17.8 points per game and was named Second-Team All-Conference.

Nearly all of last season’s roster is coming back for another run and even though the season ended disastrously, Lavin remains optimistic. “Up until D’Angelo was suspended…I was pleased with where we were,” says Lavin. “We had a vision when we came here three years ago and now we’re closer to that because we have the depth, balance, size, skill, quickness, seasoning, and now we’re ready to take the next step which is making the NCAA Tournament.” It may seem a bit silly for the coach to speak so glowingly about the program considering how disappointing the last two seasons have been but Lavin’s optimism is warranted–on paper this team has all the pieces to win the Big East and compete nationally.

After flirting with the NBA, super sophomore Jakarr Sampson returns and joins Obekpa, Greene, Pointer, Branch, and a fresh-off-suspension Harrison to form an experienced and talented core. “The way the team is built, you can’t load up on guys,” says Harrison. “Everybody’s progression is better…Anyone on the floor can burn you.” Due to transfers, eligibility issues, and injuries, Lavin has struggled with depth since day one. After three years of solid recruiting, he finally has the bodies to use a skillful 10-man rotation—an incredibly important facet considering the new rules put in play by the NCAA that will result in a ton of foul calls.

Leaving his native Africa to chase his dream of playing in the NBA, Opekba made a splash last season by leading the nation in blocks but it wasn’t enough for the big man. “[Winning Defensive Player of the Year] was the goal last year but I didn’t get it,” says Opekba. “I was mad at myself but it was motivation for me to come back and get it. That’s what I’m looking forward to this year. [That] and to watch the team progress and go a lot further than last year.” If Opekba has any semblance of an offensive game this season, he will emerge as a force for the Johnnies on both ends of the court.

Pointer has one of the more well-rounded games in the nation, and is starting to gain national attention because of it. His stats won’t blow you away (he averaged 6.9 points, 5.5 boards, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals last season) but with a combination of strength, size, athleticism and basketball IQ, the 6-5 Pointer will again impact every game in some capacity. “He’s one of those guys who will be in for 10 minutes and have 10 points, 8 blocks, 4 rebounds, call a timeout, get a travel called on him, and dunk on somebody,” says Harrison. “He’s going to have an impact every game. [He is one of the] leaders on this team.”

After winning Big East Freshman of the Year, 6-8 forward Sampson rightfully flirted with the NBA Draft. Last season, the silky smooth forward flashed a sick mid-range game and proved himself as a willing rebounder, but ultimately chose to return to St. John’s to improve his game, get stronger, and carry his team to the next level. “I felt like I wasn’t satisfied with where I was at,” says an excited Sampson. “I felt like I could use another year to get better and improve on the things I wasn’t good at last year like my three-point shot, perimeter game and ball-handling. I felt like we weren’t a full team last year…it didn’t feel right leaving.”

Realizing the team’s flaws, the coaching staff did a tremendous job in filling the holes that held the Red Storm back last season. To help the terrible three-point shooting, Lavin brought in long-range specialist Max Hooper from Harvard. Hooper only has one job this season—hit as many threes as humanly possible and if the 10 three-pointers he hit in a game during the team’s European tour over the summer are any indication, that should not be a problem. “He’s going to add a lot to this team,” says Sampson. “It’s no secret that we struggled with the three-point shot last year and he’s going to open up a lot for us this year. Once people start to realize he’s the real deal and can really shoot the ball, a lot of attention is going to be taken off of myself and D’Angelo and put on him.”

While Hooper’s teammates and coaches raved about his ability to shoot the three at media day, the reality is Hooper saw almost no playing time his freshman year at Harvard. At 6-6 and with his supposed ability to stretch the floor, Hooper has the potential to solve a lot of the problems this team had from beyond the arc last season. The verdict is still out as to whether Hooper can compete on a higher level of competition and with St. John’s counting on him to be their primary deep threat, the pressure is on.

Outside of Obekpa, who was a non-factor offensively, the Red Storm were paper thin up front. To add depth and skill, the Red Storm welcome in 6-9 power forward Sanchez with open arms. The Dominican Republic native was supposed to play last season but after suiting up for the Dominican’s national team under Coach Calipari, the NCAA called his amateur eligibility into question and declared him ineligible for the season. Fortunately for the 24-year-old Sanchez and the Red Storm, the big man was cleared late last season and will add scoring and rebounding up front. Sanchez was widely regarded as one of the top JuCo transfers two years ago and he and Obekpa will form a formidable duo down low.

“I like playing off of Orlando,” says Obekpa. “He knows what I can do and I know what he can do. It’s like a good sparring partner for me, we push each other every day in practice. By the time we start the season we won’t be surprised by the competition, we’ll be used to it.” Along with Sanchez, 6-9 forward, God’s Gift Achiuwa returns after redshirting last season to provide more depth.

Easily the biggest addition to St. John’s roster is 6-4 freshman point guard Rysheed Jordan. Despite all the talent Lavin as hauled since he landed in Queens, the point guard position has been this program’s achilles heel under his tenure. It doesn’t matter how many good players a coach puts on the court, without a capable floor general the team will struggle—just look at last year’s Kentucky team. Jordan, who was heralded as one of the top recruits in the nation, is long, explosive, and could be the missing piece that takes this team from the middle-of-the-pack to the Top 25.

Jordan will make an impact on both sides of the floor from day one and he is already being discussed as one of the top freshmen Lavin has ever coached. “He’s a perfect complement to our personnel and to our style of play,” says Lavin. “He can influence the game on both ends of the floor, he’s 6-4 with a long wingspan and can disrupt a player with his defensive prowess as well as offensively as a shot and playmaker. He’s going to have an opportunity to elevate everything we’re doing. He’s in the handful of the best freshmen I’ve coached. Time will tell over the season how quickly he develops…but for this stage in my coaching career, he’d be in the handful of the best I’ve coached.”

The hype machine around the Philly native is firing on all cylinders and with St. John’s making him unavailable for interviews until December, the intrigue only grows.

With fresh faces and returning players all primed to contribute, this season rides on the shoulders of Harrison. The junior is easily one of the top scorers in the country but with last year’s suspension still fresh in everyone’s memory, he will be under a microscope all season long. During the offseason, Harrison returned home to his native Texas to train and receive counseling from from former NBA point guard, John Lucas, who has built a reputation as a mentor to troubled athletes. The training and anger management put Harrison in a good place both physically and mentally. When the lights are on and he hits a cold streak or St. John’s goes on a skid, whether or not Harrison has actually learned from his past will reveal itself.

“He’s in a really good place but he knows it has to be sustained,” says Lavin. “It doesn’t mean he’s not going to have a day or a game where he’s less than perfect, we get that. But he’s in a good place and we’re proud of the way he came back. He wanted to come back and he came back and earned his way back on to the team.”

Harrison must keep composure in order for this team to reach its potential and with the talent around him this season, he has the chance to lead the Big East in scoring and have a really special year for the Red Storm.

In Sampson, Harrison, Jordan, Pointer and Opekba, Lavin has five former blue chip recruits who will often find themselves on the court together at the same time at his disposal. That level of talent cannot be matched by any of the other teams in the new Big East. The accolades for this crew are already piling up—Sampson was named Second-Team All-Conference, Harrison a First-Team selection, Opekba an Honorable Mention, and Jordan has been named Preseason Big East Rookie of the Year. While the Big East lost many of its stalwarts, newcomers Xavier, Creighton and Butler are no strangers to success. Adding those programs to go along with Georgetown, Villanova and Marquette and the Big East will still be one of the more competitive conferences in the country. Outside of matchups with Wisconsin and Syracuse, the Red Storm’s non-conference schedule is very weak which should help them find their groove heading into Big East play.

Expectations are growing, the talent level is as high as its ever been, and entering year four of Lavin’s regime the pressure to win now is undeniable—exactly what Lavin and the Red Storm want. “At the end of the day, that’s why we lace ‘em up,” says Lavin. “As a coach and an athlete that comes to St. John’s, you have the chance to do something special like we have in the past. This group has been working hard so that we’ll have something special in March.”

On Sunday, January 1, 2012 specialty urban retailer, VILLA will host their 5th Annual VILLA Classic at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. This high energy basketball showdown is fueled by a longstanding rivalry between sports teams in Philadelphia and New York City, and is being played out in the venue of high school basketball. Last year, New York City High schools beat Philadelphia in all four match-ups, this year, Philadelphia seeks redemption. Join us for a pulse pounding day of high octane hoops and see which City comes out on top.

On Saturday, Reebok wrapped up its Breakout Challenge at Philadelphia University, which featured 120 players looking to let their game make their name. A one of kind event, the Reebok Breakout Challenge offers an opportunity that no other sneaker camp does — allowing any basketball player to try out for an opportunity to play in front on Division I coaches. With its Headliner Try Outs held at 13 different cities, 56 players were given the opportunity of a lifetime by being invited to Philly and showcase their skills amongst some of the country’s best.

After being discovered through the Headliner Try Out system four years ago, John Wall and Reebok wanted to look for that next diamond in the rough. In my personal opinion, it is in camps like this one where you see guys give it their all. In other camps, where they basically gather up All-Americans and make them scrimmage each other, you don’t always see a player’s full potential since there really isn’t an urgency in getting noticed – if you got invited then it means you’re already consider among the best. But at the Breakout Challenge, you can tell guys are walking with a chip on their shoulders. They are aware that they’re playing for their lives. They know that one impressive outing can change their futures completely.

And so this year’s event saw new names that will now be mentioned a whole lot more among those that follow high school ball – and most importantly among college coaches. Wall spent all four days with the players, just talking to them and answering any questions they had. He even played one-on-one with a few.

The following are some of the guys that stood out to me while I was down there, in no particular order or ranking.

Neville Fincher – Maybe the most impressive (or dominant?) dunker at the event, Fincher put up a dunking clinic. Everything from two-handed jams, to one-handed tomahawks, the Teaneck (NJ) native showcased his athleticism and overall talent. Looked great running the floor in transition; this 6-9 forward can get off the floor in a hurry. Just an overall threat in paint, he’s a prospect that probably deserves way more attention than what he’s been getting.

Paul Watson Jr. – This Phoenix native was one of the most versatile players that I got a chance to watch in this event. Watson showed a little bit of everything. From the ability to hit shots from behind the arc, to scoring at the rim in traffic. Although certainly far from being a hometown-kid, he seemed to have become a fan-favorite thanks to his freakish athleticism and impressive hops. Just like Fincher, Watson most definitely loves dunking the ball (didn’t keep count but I would say at least five in one game I saw).

Rysheed Jordan (below)- This 6-4 wing, listed as a point guard, was probably the most talented and athletic player at the event. And to be honest, that didn’t take long for one to realize. His explosiveness was as clear-cut as it can get. Jordan’s quick first step was all it usually took for him to blow by his defender on his way to the rim. He also possesses a killer crossover that had the crowed mesmerized. The Philly-native showed great court vision and always seemed to be on attack mode. This aggressive guard can play D-1 ball anywhere.

Akosa Maduegbunam – One of three-players to come out of the Boston Headliner tryouts, Maduegbunam was among the most impressive shooters I saw at the event. At one point, he hit four three-pointers in a matter of minutes in the fourth quarter of a game. What was more impressive was that he exhibited the ability to drain jumpers in all types of situations – catch-and-shoot, off-the-dribble, coming out from a pick, etc. In addition, he did a good job finding the open man on numerous occasions.

Miles Overton – Just like Maduegbunam, this Chester (PA) native can hit shots in a variety of ways. He did seem to like shooting off the pass though. But I wouldn’t necessarily call him a spot-up shooter. Overton demonstrated range from way beyond the arc. The 6-4 combo guard encompasses a strong body-frame with college-ready physique. He also did a good job handling the ball and seems like although shooting guard would be his position at the next level, he would also have little problem running the point if called upon.

Shep Garner III – Another Philly native, Garner was among the youngest players at the camp. A member of the 2014 class, he showed a whole lot of poise. The very agile and athletic shooting guard demonstrated a knack for hitting shots beyond the perimeter. At one point, he hit three consecutive three-pointers in what was probably a two-minute span, or just about. The 6-2 guard also showcased his athleticism and ability to get up in the air – even catching an unexpected one-handed jam at one point.

Tony Bagtas – If I had to name some players that broke out in this event, Bagtas would definitely have to be in my list. Although listed at only 5-11, in the game I caught on Friday afternoon at least, he seemed uncontainable. Three-pointer after three-pointer after three-pointer, the Georgia native didn’t seem to miss. It got to the point when he did miss, you could hear the crowd’s surprised reaction. Aside from his terrific shooting outing, Bagtas proved to be a very quick and slick point guard that can get to the paint and finish at the rim on bigger guys – showing no fear or hesitation whatsoever. He also demonstrated great court vision, sneaking the ball in the paint through traffic for easy lay-ups.

Daniel Dingle – The Bronx native was one of the most well-rounded players in the camp. Dingle’s forte is finishing at the rim – some way, some how. I’ve always heard that he is an undersized forward. But if you’ve watched him play, then you know the effort and hustle is never lacking. He does a good job getting others involved and seems to be on attack mode.

Nik Staukas – The word on Nik was that he was shooter. But at the Breakout Challenge he seemed to want to change that rep to a more versatile one. And so he did by driving to the rim a whole lot more. He is a Michigan-commit and by the looks of it, he has the skills set to hold his own in the Big Ten.

Jerome Frink – This 6-6 small forward didn’t make this list because he killed the competition. But I thought he should be mentioned because of what could be. Unless you were at the camp, you probably wouldn’t be able to take notice since his stats didn’t raise eyebrows. What I did see is a whole lot of potential. His game seems to be a little bit rusty right now but you can tell he got the tools. Frink did a good job creating shots for himself and finding ways to get to the rim, but unfortunately he couldn’t quite finish the plays. He has an array of moves and a strong body frame. And now heading to his senior year at St. Anthony, expect for legendary coach Bob Hurley to help tune up his game in the upcoming months.